The New Start
by nerdsdoitbetter
Summary: Dom has been struggling to deal with life since Letty's death after he finishes his short time back in prison. Gemma attempts to deter her overbearing brother with Dom's reputation, one night in a bar. Dom takes a random interest in her, interfering occasionally when Gemma's brother becomes too unstable. Friendship/romance. Rating may change later on. Generally follows storyline.
1. First Meeting

**Hello fellow Fast and the Furious addicts! This story kind of sprouted from my mind and I couldn't stop it, so here we are. This is set after four (*SPOILER WARNING* for those crazy people who haven't seen the whole series). **

**Letty is dead. Dom ended up actually going to jail (nope, they didn't bust him out), but the judge was way more lenient and it was around a three to five year sentence with early parole for good behaviour (probably not so realistic, but any longer and the story is becoming too far way from the event of Letty's death). So I hope you enjoy! Leave your review and let me know what you think of it all. **

**Disclaimer: no, I'm not actually affiliated with all this awesomeness. Gemma and Kyle are mine though, plus probably some more new characters as I go on. **

* * *

I'd seen her around for years. She was Kyle Parkley's younger sister. Always hanging around his small crew. Just in the background. Pretty enough to notice, but no racer chaser. And I'as always with Letty. And Parkley's way down the ladder anyway. Toss-pot. All talk - drives like shit. So I never took her in that much. Until Letty was murdered. Then everything changed.

* * *

After the time in prison tossing around the reality that Letty was really gone, the deep ache was only just starting to ease. The soothe from seeing Fenix's body flopped over that car, dead, never to live another day again was what helped me sleep every night since.

But now outa prison, served my time and I wouldn't admit it to a sole, but I was lost. The pain of Letty and the constant counter-soothe of Fenix's death was just a way to get through my sentence day by day. Since then I've just been laying low. Fiddling in the garage by day, thinking and sometimes drowning my liver at night. No plans. No racing either. Not since the first day I got out. And that just hurt too much to deal with just yet. For once it hadn't helped me escape - the seats smelled like Letty. I had glanced over to the passenger side to smirk at her after I'd drifted 'round a corner at top speed - only she wasn't there. Her seat was empty. She was dead. And that's when it really hit me.

In prison it's so easy to let your subconscious lie to you, that away from home, away from anything "Letty" didn't make it half as real as I'd thought.

She was gone.

Not just pissed-at-me-and-staying-at-her-mum's gone or safe back-in-the-States gone, but really truly gone. Dead. Never to be with her attitude or her driving or those precious brown eyes again. And that pissed me off. Some days to the point where I'd wake up sweating and seeing red. So I'm trying to do simple things while I work out what to do next. Because I need something for my mind to do soon, or I'm just gonna lose it.

Tonight I came into the bar to drink. I just got my second Corona when she sat next to me at the end of the bar.

"Already on to your second and still alone? Looks like you need some company."

The sound of her voice startled me a little. It was soft and high and feminine. So unlike Letty's tough, no bullshit tone that cut straight to the point. But there was a sincerity there that was familiar. It wasn't flirtatious really, just friendly which was surprising and nice and it made me look up at her for a few moments. Blue eyes. Clear and open. Not holding anything back.

I looked back down at the alcohol stains on the bar and took a swig of beer. "No thanks."

I'd been approached by a couple of girls in the last few weeks, those still game enough for a try with Dominic Torretto now that his usual girl was outa the scene.

But the girl didn't move or make a sound. I drank again. After about ten seconds I had to look back up at her. Small boobs. Plain black singlet top. She was staring at me, but not awed or offended as some cats were. It was more as though she was evaluating something. It was a little unnerving. I was not usually on the receiving end, if any, of judgement that mattered. Or seemed to matter. Our eyes locked.

_What? _

She'd recognised something in me. I could tell when her focus changed.

But what ever she saw she promptly wiped it from her face, blinked and turned to face the crowd and the connection was broken. Though she didn't seem upset or put off or anything. Maybe even upbeat.

"Ah well, that's a real shame." She responded with her face to the crowd. "I was hoping you could deter my pig-headed brother."

I turned so I was half facing her. "Y' brother? Parkley right? Kyle?"

"Mmm hmm." She gestured with her beer to a group by the pool tables. Kyle, the tall one, was shooting her dirty looks. He looked away when he caught my gaze.

"Gemma, isn't it?" I took another swig. She turned her head to me and smiled. Then paused and raised her eyebrows pointedly.

I half-smiled. "You know full well who I am, Gemma Parkley."

She grinned wider. "Yes, I do, Dominic Torretto."

I turned on my stool to face the crowd too, one elbow still on the bar. She was a nice effortless distraction. A sip of beer. "So what does your brother want?" I looked back over to her.

A small sigh. "You know, I haven't seen you out on the streets for a while Dom. A long while. Where you been?"

Again I had to look closely at her face. Just when I was starting to like her. But then I still came up empty. She didn't sound like she was fishing for someone. Just sincerity.

"Took a vacation." Swig.

"Oh, now one of those I could definitely go for." A lot'o longing in her voice. She drank her beer. I studied her face again. Soft round cheeks. Straight, long, light-brown hair. A thin gold chain with a black pearl around her neck.

I turned back to the crowd. A more upbeat song had just come on. I saw Kyle Parkley step into the men's room. More people were getting up to dance.

I turned to Gemma again. "So where would you go?"

She looked distracted. She was scanning the crowd.

"Uh, you know what Toretto, I just remembered...I..." She turned and threw a few notes on the bar. "Catch you another time." Flashed a smile in my direction, swung on her jacked and jogged out the front door.

Huh. I stared at the empty doorway she just left out of. Then looked back over to the crowded back exit. I finished my beer in one swallow and headed home.

Hmm. I had a name to check over in Jesse's database: Parkley.


	2. Siblings' Backgound

**Hello! Thank you all those that read and favourited and whatnot, it made me extremely happy :D**

**I wasn't quite sure what people would think of the story or if anyone would even read it, so thanks! I hope you still want to stick with it! **

**Apologies for how long it took me to get this up. I worked on it and changed it and mixed it around and I still think it's too short and a little uneventful but I hope you don't mind it and I'll try and get another up soon. Let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I only own the Parkley's. **

* * *

The door unlocked and I was upstairs in a flash. I showered quickly and climbed into bed. If I was already sleeping when he got home he wouldn't wake me to chastise for earlier. And he'd see that I'd come home without company. That was always a plus in your brother's eyes right?

As I lay there breathing slowly to encourage sleep I wondered when I had become so submissive to my brother's rules. Kyle was a good brother. That was usually my reasoning. Well, if I thought about it he hadn't been for quite a while now. Ever since –

Well, he used to be. He was reasonable and so were Dad's rules. They were to keep us safe and keep us surviving in the world. Even when Kyle started street racing he was always looking out for me. Keeping guys away from getting too interested for the wrong reasons. Teaching me how to drive. Not racing but still, he was loving. I mean, he always had a bit of an ego but that hadn't affected the way he'd treated me. Now…Well that seemed like such a long time ago. Just now, huddling in bed just to try to keep his temper in check, I realised how far we'd come from that stable happy family we'd been. It made me sad.

My thoughts wandered to Dom's sad eyes. Dom was a surprise tonight. Not exactly what I was expecting. Not so sure what we were all supposed to be so wary about. He was actually specifically one of Dad's rules, (not sure if that was solely for my benefit – Dad had instructed me about that privately). Dom seemed so lost. Without an anchor. He looked…just human. As vulnerable as the rest of us fools out there. So very _not_ the untouchable racing king the streets knew him as. I hoped talking to him wasn't too much of a stir to Kyle. I'd resolve that tomorrow. I'd pull him aside and try and talk to my brother, about everything.

* * *

Kyle Parkley's bad attitude was what stuck out the most. It seemed about fourteen months ago he started boosting cars and got done for more than he wormed out of. Twice he went away a few weeks at a time for drug possession. Speeding fines, some misdemeanours and a destruction of property charge. Not an angel. Though Gemma Parkley had no record to speak of. According to the info she'd recently stared working at an ink shop.

Huh. Wouldn'ta pegged her for a tattooist.

"Breakfast!"

I closed down the computer and headed downstairs for coffee.

"Hey," Mia gave me a kiss and handed me a plate of eggs. She motioned towards the bacon on the table. "So, you had a pretty early night." I dug into my food. She placed a steaming mug in front of me and sipped at her own.

I groaned internally. Really Mia, already suspicious? She caught the look I shot her.

"Oh Dom, come on. I have eyes and ears. You weren't even tipsy when you came in. And you look -" she stopped but sighed with a small smile.

I swallowed my mouthful of eggs. "What?"

Peaceful, she thought. "Dom, ever since -"

"How you gonna get pregnant if you're drinking that much coffee?" I was not talking about Letty right now.

She scoffed and frowned at me pointedly. I raised a hand and conceded. "Sorry." She lowered her mug anyway and glanced down at her flat stomach. Shit. "Hey d'you know anything about the Parkley's?"

"The Parkley's?" Her absentminded frown turned to curiosity. Excellent distraction.

"Yeah. Kyle and Gemma Parkley?"

"Hmm," she looked to the ceiling, thinking. "Yeah I think Gemma's a year younger than me and Kyle's a few years older." She moved towards the frying pan to start clearing up. "Kyle races often but he's not really great. Gemma's sweet. She's not really in the scene I don't think. I haven't seen her around lately. Why? He want to race you or something?" She asked, twisting the faucet on.

I grunted and shook my head. One last piece of bacon and I put my empty plate in the sink. "Thanks for breakfast." I gave her a kiss on the cheek. She nodded.

* * *

Mia sighed as he left the house. He'd be at the garage all day again.

"Where'd all the bacon go? I could smell it!" Brian wandered in, his hair still damp from the shower.

"Hey," Mia Drew her arms around his neck, mindful of her wet hands. Her worries about her brother faded a little. "If you'd have gotten up when I woke you..." She grinned seductively.

"I happened, to be a little distracted."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

* * *

**Let me know what you think! :D**


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